Strange article touts Palin presidential run, and Ruddy as her kingmaker

Since when did U.S. News & World Report, which I thought was a centrist-liberal newsmagazine, become a PR sheet for conservative websites and Sarah Palin? Palin met with Newsmax editor Christopher Ruddy and “50 conservative leaders” in a “meet and greet” at Ruddy’s offices in Palm Beach, and U.S. News plays it as

Sarah Palin Takes A Big Step Toward 2012 Run for President

Throughout the piece, an unnamed insider is repeatedly quoted as saying that the meeting shows that Palin is planning to run for president.

“This was an indication that she’s strongly considering running,” said one insider. “She was very knowledgeable and gave intelligent answers, despite how she’s been characterized,” added the insider. “And she was extremely charming.”

Obviously the insider is Ruddy himself, who is shown in no fewer than four photos in the article meeting and escorting Palin. The article also talks up Newsmax, saying that it “plays a broad role in conservative politics and is fast becoming the place [italics added] for potential 2012 GOP candidates to be seen. Already Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush have stopped by for interviews. One conservative leader told Whispers that Palin’s trip to Newsmax was the strongest sign yet that she’s planning to run.”

Again, I’m struck by the strangeness of this piece, as it reads more like a public relations release than a news article. Wikipedia does not indicate that U.S. News is anything other than the meat-and-potatoes newsmagazine it has always been.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 09, 2010 10:36 AM | Send